Tuesday, October 29, 2013

The Daily VR-Zone News Summary - 11 Mar 2011

Hardware News:

Kingston HyperX T1 8GB (4 x 2GB) 2133MHz DDR3 Memory Kit Review @ Bigbruin.com
Description: The Kingston HyperX T1 8GB (4 x 2GB) 2133MHz DDR3 memory kit is definitely worth considering by those looking for a high speed, high capacity kit to take their system to the next level. An XMP profile at 2133MHz makes the whole process extremely simple, and anyone with a compatible motherboard should be up and running in no time.

Exceleram EP3001A 3 x 2 GB DDR3-1333 MHz CL9 review at Tweak.dk
Description: The EP3001A modules have a speed of DDR3-1333 MHz with CL9 timings, and a tRAS-value of 24. The CRT-timing can be adjusted to 1T, which gives you extra performance. Exceleram have chosen to spare the heatsinks, to minimize the price. The overclocking potential is big, and by loosening the timings, it is possible to hit speeds over DDR3-2000 MHz. We compare the modules in various benchmark tests against kits from both Exceleram and Kingston.

Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 FleX Video Card Review @ Rage3D.com
Description: Sapphires Radeon HD 6870 FleX edition integrates an active DisplayPort adapter onto the PCB to allow three non-DisplayPort monitors for Eyefinity gaming - while retaining the two mini-DP outputs of the reference design. We check out single and crossfire HD 6870 performance in 1080HD and Eyefinity 3 resolutions.

Thermaltake Jing CPU Cooler Review @Hi Tech Legion
Description: The Thermaltake Jing CPU Cooler is Thermaltakes newest addition into the silent operation market. The Jing is positioned to offer high performance cooling with a noise level of only 16dBA. There are 41 0.5mm large aluminum fins and 5 6mm heat-pipes. The fins, base, and heat-pipes are nickel plated for better heat transmission. The Jing comes with 2 custom made fans for push/pull configuration.

Xigmatek Loki CPU Cooler Review @ Tweaknews
Description: Xigmateks Loki is a terrific little cooler that packs a lot of performance into a compact package thats easily installed and should fit on just about any board and in most cases. Widely available online for as little as $25 US, Loki is also very reasonable and represents an excellent value.

Computing on Demand: Nexus Real Silent CPU Cooler - FLC-3000 R2
Description: Many of todays users seem to look towards a peaceful experience in front of the keyboard instead of the days when we thought having a computer that sounded like a hovercraft was cool. A few companies have made a name for themselves by offering peripherals and devices that marry performance with peace and quiet. Nexus thinks they have the proper balance with their new FLC-3000 (R2).

Antec Sonata IV Computer Case @ Benchmark Reviews
Description: Antec has been making computer enclosures for as long as I can remember. When I think of popular computer chassis, one case from Antec almost always comes to mind: their Sonata line of cases. Antec has provided Benchmark Reviews the opportunity to review their latest iteration of their Sonata line, the Sonata IV. The Sonata IV is marketed as being a Quiet Mid Tower case. It aims to bring the Sonata line of cases up to date with such features as a front USB 3.0 port, a spot for a 2.5" SSD drive, and silicon grommets to reduce hard drive vibration. Also included with the Sonata IV is a 620 watt power supply. Can the Sonata IV live up to its predecessors and the Antec name? Read the full review to find out...

Antec Six Hundred Review - XSReviews
Description: When it comes to building a killer rig, there are many important components you have to consider, the case being a big one. You want a case that looks great, is quiet and keeps all of your hardware nice and cool. With this in mind today we look at the Antec Six Hundred.

Corsair Hydro series H60 Watercooling kit Review @ Madshrimps
Description: I was surprised that Corsair launched another complete liquid cooling model, the H60. The H50 being perfect for tiny spaces and moderate cooling demands. The H70 was able to cope with our overclocked Gulftown setup, crushing the H50s performance. Its beefier radiator and dual fan setup was a big step forward for higher cooling demands. Corsairs new H60 is the first new release of its new partnership with the CoolIT company.

BitFenix Shinobi Review @ Vortez
Description: As tradition would have it, we are here again with the first review of a new case from BitFenix, named Shinobi. Shinobi is a mid-tower case that differs from its bigger brothers the Survivor and Colossus cases by bringing a touch of sleekness and elegance to the table. Available in two variants - window version (being reviewed today) and none-window version this case features 2 pre-installed fans, tool-less mechanisms throughout and of solid steel construction.

Lamptron Fan-Atic 5-Channel Fan Controller Review @ Legit Reviews
Description: The Lamptron Fan-Atic 5-channel fan controller controls 60W per each channel with 3 different voltage output - 12VDC, 5VDC, and Off, which correspond to Full RPM, Low RPM, and Off setting on the fans connected to the controller. So you get full speed cooling capacity or low speed quietness at a flip of the switch. Read on to see how this fan controller performs when we put it to the test!


Consumer Electronics and Software News:

Samsung to begin test production of 32" OLED TVs in 2H 2012, will start investing in a Gen-8 fab in 3Q 2011
Description: There are reports that Samsung plans to begin test production of 32" OLED TVs in the second half of 2012. The company will start to invest in Gen-8 OLED TV production lines in 3Q 2011. LG will be able to make 30" OLED TVs be the end of 2011, and (as we know already) plans a Gen-8 fab for 2011. Sony meanwhile seems to be focusing on professional OLED monitors, and doesnt have any active consumer OLED TV program.

Google Adds Click-to-Call to Gmail Voice Calling
Description: Google has enhanced its voice calling feature in Gmail with an ability to click on phone numbers and call them instantly instead of having to type in the number manually.

Forget Apple, the money is in Android
Description: While the Apple App store is packed full of software and has a better reach, a top developer has pointed out that he makes much more cash from writing Android code.

Google, Bing Have White Lists Of Sites Not To Be Impacted By Algo Changes
Description: Both major search engines admitted today they have white lists of sites that wont be impacted by changes to their algorithms. During the Spam Police session at SMX, Googles Matt Cutts and Bings Sasi Parthasarathy both confirmed this, the UK Register noted. "Google has admitted that it uses whitelists to manually ...

Google Brings Instant Previews to Mobile
Description: The concept of Google Instant, which could give you results before you were even done typing, was further enhanced with the presence of Instant Preview. Instant Previews allows users to click on a magnifying glass while in the search page and get previews of the first few results. Now, four months after the original release of Instant Previews, the concept is coming to mobile.

Pwn2Own day 2: iPhone, BlackBerry beaten; Chrome, Firefox no-shows
Description: On day two of the Pwn2Own competition, Apples iPhone and RIMs BlackBerry Torch 9800 were both put in the spotlight, and were both successfully compromised. Meanwhile, contestants scheduled to attack Android and Firefox failed to turn up, leaving those platforms unscathed.


Gaming News:

PS3 Ban Lifted in Netherlands
Description: The dispute between Sony and LG has taken another twist, with the ban on imported PS3s being lifted in the Netherlands.

Jurassic Park: The Game Q&A - Back from extinction
Description: We find out a few more details from Telltale Games about its upcoming dinosaur action adventure game.



Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Steam heading for Linux in October in closed beta

In 2003, Valve launched Steam, a software distribution, social networking and digital rights management platform, and has since grown to become one of the leading game distribution systems for the pc, containing games and related content from small and large developers alike. Steam has since been released for several platforms, including iOS and Android, Mac OS X and to a partial degree, Playstation 3. Valve is hard at work developing the platform for Linux computers as well, and on October 26, 1000 lucky users will be taking part in a closed beta test of the Linux version.

The Steam Logo

The Linux port of Steam will have full functionality and run on Ubuntu 12.04 or higher. Only experienced users are being asked to part take in the beta, and testers will initially be given Steam itself, as well as one game, Left 4 Dead, for testing. Hopes are that once the beta is over, the Linux port will make its way into public hands, and that more of Valves proprietary games will be ported to the Linux platform. It should be pointed out, that Steams games library does not automatically become compatible with the new platform, but that each game will have to be optimized to run on Linux.

Steam was originally born out of complications with updating their software. Updating Valves multiplayer game Counter-Strike for example, usually resulted in many players being unable to play for several days while updates were being carried out. In order to streamline this process, as well as implement a better anti-cheat and anti-piracy system, Valve decided to seek out a new distribution platform. Initially, they asked other companies to create such a system for them, but Valve was turned down and decided to create their own platform.

Since its release, Steam has become quite successful; a 2009 estimation of Steams market share of digital distribution for games, held it at 70% of the market share, though Valve never releases its actual sales figures.Part of its success owes to the hassle free DRM system, which links games to their respective owners Steam accounts, thus protecting developers from piracy, while avoiding unwanted DRM software and hardware checks other distribution methods employ. As of august 2012, there are over 1500 games available through Steam, as well as software development tools and custom content for the games. New features are being added regularly, including the new "Greenlight" system, which allows users to vote on which games should be added for distribution on the platform.



Wednesday, October 16, 2013

ZTE N9210 Anthem 4G shows up in FCC database

The above image is image that passed through the FCC on December 7th. Its where the FCC label will sit on the phone. Nothing we havent seen before but it does give some specs confirmation that we all love to see. MetroPCS has been pushing out some phones as of late and they have now got a range to suit almost everyone, unless you are an Apple fan.

With T-Mobile still planning on buying MetroPCS, it makes us wonder why they are still putting out CDMA phones as T-Mobile is a GSM company. The logistics of the whole deal are still foggy at best. It is nice to see that MetroPCS is finally breaking free of the stagnant position they held on to for such a long time. Going back to the phone, you can see the specs below. They are nice and robust but still speculation at this point, its a mid-range unit, probably priced in the $199-$250 area like most the other ZTEs are.

Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon

1.5GHz dual-core

LCD (480 * 800) WVGA

Android 4.0

Wi-Fi, LTE and NFC

Source FCCvia Ameba



Wednesday, October 9, 2013

ZOTAC Unveils ZBOX HD-ID11



ZOTAC Internationalhas launched the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 mini-PC, targeting users constrained by space.









Measuring 188 x 188 x 44mm, it is built on Intel’s NM10 Express chipsetand features a 1.66 GHz dual-core Atom D510, NVIDIA ION GPU with 512MBDDR3 VRAM, one 2.5” SATA HDD/SSD slot, one DDR2 slot, onboard7.1-Channel audio, integrated WiFi 802.11n, a multi-format card readerand front side panel with one USB 2.0 port and audio connectors. It isalso equipped with Dual-link DVI and HDMI outputs, one RJ45 port, oneeSATA port and four rear USB 2.0 ports for external connectivity.Pricing and availability has not been announced yet so stay tuned formore updates.


“Software companies took a big step in the last year to enableGPU-acceleration in their applications. Users can edit movies usingSuper LoiLoScope, enhance the quality of low-quality videos usingvReveal and convert video files for use with portable media playersusing Badaboom with CUDA™ technology and our new ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11mini-PC using just the graphics processor,” said Carsten Berger,marketing director, ZOTAC International. “Just because the ZOTAC ZBOXHD-ID11 mini-PC is small in size doesn’t mean it can’t deliver bigsystem performance.


News via [Legitreviews]



Monday, October 7, 2013

Razer Launched Goliathus Soft Mat

Razer™, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming andlifestyle electronics peripherals, today launched the Razer Goliathus™, apremium grade soft mat in two versions with three sizes co-developed with globalprofessional gaming teams.

Razer Goliathus – US: $ 14.99, 19.99 & 24.99; Europe: €12.99, 17.99 & 19.99

Speed Edition: Advanced cloth weave for maximum speed and effortless control
Control Edition: Heavily textured weave for maximum mouse control

Pixel-precise targeting and tracking
Optimized for all mouse sensitivity settings and sensor types
Rubber base for a secure grip on smooth surfaces
Dimensions: Goliathus Speed / Control 270mm x 215mm x 4mm
Goliathus Speed / Control 355mm x 254mm x 4mm
Goliathus Speed / Control 444 x 355 x 4.3mm

AVAILABILTY: May 2008 – Worldwide

About the Razer Goliathus Speed Edition

Recognizing that every gamer has a different gaming style with differentprofiles, the highly adaptable Razer Goliathus Speed Edition successfully meldsthe full-scale speed, acceleration and razor-sharp responsiveness of hard matswith the precise control and comfort offered by uncoated soft pads. The RazerGoliathus Speed Edition features an improved iteration of Razer’s proven wovenfiber technology, and is available in three sizes.

About the Razer Goliathus Control Edition

The Razer Goliathus Control Edition enhances the precision and tactileresponse of gaming-grade mice without introducing excessive drag and prematuresurface degradation. Also available in three sizes, the tournament-tunedtextured weave in the Razer Goliathus Control Edition enables all mice toregister even small movements, providing unprecedented targeting and trackingaccuracy while maintaining a controlled, consistent glide.

The Razer Goliathus - co-development with pro-gaming teams and theirendorsement:

Field-validated by world championship professional gamers and teams specializingin different gaming genres, the Razer Goliathus is a legacy written with thefootprints of gamers from Amazing Gaming (Ukraine), Fnatic (Sweden), Lunatic-Hai(Korea), Team Dignitas (UK), Team EG (Canada) and Team World Elite (China) andwith Razer’s lab scientists.

“The Goliathus Control Edition is my choice for two simple reasons. It has anultra-responsive textured surface for unsurpassed mouse control, and is built towithstand the brutal frictional wear of professional eSports use. No other clothmat compares,” declared Xiaofeng “Sky” Li, Team World Elite’s Warcraft 3 player.WE.Sky is China's top professional gamer and arguably the best Human player inthe world. Inducted into the WCG Hall of Fame for becoming the first back toback Warcraft III champion in history (with his gold medals in 2005 and 2006)and coming in 2nd in 2007, Sky has accomplished everything a Warcraft 3 playercould ever wish for. He dominated the first two PGL seasons, and has earnednotable victories in events such ACON 5 and the International E-Sports Festival.In 2006, he was lauded as the best Warcraft 3 player by the world’s leadingeSports media.

“With the improved smoothness of the Razer Goliathus Speed Edition, I am ableto consistently hit those crucial shots that determine whether I win or lose,”said Jason "stryfe" Dourlaris, Team EG’s Unreal Tournament player. Boasting anaccomplished history with the Unreal Tournament (UT) franchise and a 1strunner-up placing in the Rise to Glory tournament held at the tail-end of 2007,Jason "stryfe" Dourlaris has emerged as one of the biggest names in the UT3community. He currently captains Team EG's UT3 side, and is poised to take themto the leading position once the game gains traction in the competitive circuit.

Quote from Razer’s president:

“The Razer Goliathus was developed after much field-study with our scientistsand professional gamers. The Razer Goliathus is suited for all mouse types,sensitivity setups and playing styles, and is engineered for any professionalgamer,” said Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff, president of Razer.”



Sunday, October 6, 2013

Report AMD Radeon HD 7990 Specifications

AMD is preparing to release the Southern Islands / HD 7000 flagship, codenamed New Zealand, to be branded Radeon HD 7990. As expected, the 7990 will be a dual-GPU card, based on 2 x Tahiti.

In essence, HD 7990 will be 2 x HD 7970 downclocked, Crossfired and cramped into a single GPU. There will be a total of 48 CU covering 4096 SP and 256 TMU. HD 7990 will feature a total of 6GB GDDR5, 3GB per GPU. The clock speeds are down mildly from the HD 7970, settling at 850 MHz core and 5 GHz memory. Judging by these clock speeds, it is likely the HD 7990 will ship with a ~375W TDP and the same non-standard 2 x 8-pin power connectors configuration featured in HD 6990 and GTX 590.

The 7990 is expected to release in early April, following shortly after the release of GeForce GTX 680 later this week. On release, HD 7990 will take over the fastest graphics card crown, at least until NVIDIA challenges with a dual-GK104 chip, possibly GTX 690. HD 7990 will be in with a fighting chance of becoming the most expensive reference gaming/consumer graphics card at release, eclipsing GeForce 8800 Ultras $829.

Source: INPAI via TechPowerUp